Landscape

THE undisputed star of the Eurobike show was the E-bike; or to give it its official name the “electric assisted bicycle”. Electric bikes aren’t a new thing, but what Eurobike showed is that they have turned into a booming phenomenon. These days, it’s not just town bikes that are being kitted out with motors; they are being fitted onto every type of machine, from racing bikes to single-speeds, MTBs and even downhill bikes. There’s no question that for some – notably people of a certain age or those with a disability – E-bikes can be a real boon. But are they really still bicycles in the pure sense of the term? And can you still call them eco-friendly, when so much of the electricity generated in the world doesn’t come from green sources? And, of course, it means the satisfaction and sense of achievement gained from conquering a big hill by your own effort is completely lost. Having said all that, it would still be much better to have our roads full of electric bikes than noisy, smelly cars... We can always dream.